Robert Crimo, III, person of interest in Highland Park July 4th mass shooting, now in custody
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Authorities said 22-year-old Robert "Bobby" E. Crimo III, the "person of interest" in the deadly Highland Park July 4th mass shooting is now in police custody.
He was spotted in North Chicago, police attempted traffic stop, he fled, then they stopped him in Lake Forest, and was taken into custody without incident.
The holiday mass shooting left six dead and dozens injured. Police said the shooting happened around 10:15 a.m. during the July 4th parade. Authorities said the gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop using a high-powered rifle.
Authorities didn't say what specific information led them to identify Crimo as a person of interest in the shooting.
Police are following up on multiple tips about the shooting, and asked anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
On Monday afternoon, police surrounded Crimo's family home in Highwood, just north of Highland Park, as they search for him. Neighbors said Crimo live at that home with his father and uncle and FBI agents have been going in and out of the house throughout the evening.
As the search for the alleged gunman continued through the afternoon, state, local and national lawmaker condemned the mass shooting and frequency the incidents are taking places throughout the country.
CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey reported that the suspect posted a video to his personal blog last year which shows Central Avenue in Highland Park, the same street where the shooting took place Monday.
According to IMBD, the suspect's music tracks have amassed millions of plays across online streaming platforms. He started uploading his music to the internet to his YouTube page, which has since been deleted. They include images of cartoons holding guns.
Hickey also reports Lake County court records show that the home on McDaniels, where police have been going in and out throughout the day, was the subject of a mortgage complaint. It names Robert Crimo, Jr., believed to be the suspect's father.
The case was filed in 2019 but the motion for judgement on foreclosure was filed last week on June 30. It's unclear whether that had any connection to the mass shooting.
Residents told CBS 2 that Robert Crimo Jr. is a business owner who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Highland park in 2019.
As for the suspect himself, CBS 2 did not find any publishable criminal background.
CBS 2's Steven Graves reports many people stepped into help immediately following the mass shooting.
People knocked on doors to check in with others, strangers, to see how they were doing and if there was anything they needed. People offered their phones, water, whatever they needed to regroup after the tragic incident.
A 17-year-old in the parade talked about the moments after he heard a big boom.
"I ran down the street, kinda ran through some trees, someone's backyard, until we were at someone's house," said Parker Krex, who was in the parade. "Other people that were going to march with us met us there. And they were letting in other people from the street that looked like they were from the parade."
While people in the Highland Park area opened their doors to help those dealing with the shock of the mass shooting, six families are in a state of profound grief.
They are dealing with the shocking loss of their loved ones, killed in the mass shooting. The family of Nicolas Toledo told CBS 2's Tim McNicholas he was one of those shot and killed during Monday's mass shooting at the July 4th parade in Highland Park.
Toledo was from Mexico and was visiting his family for about the past month. Kimberly Rangel, Toledo's granddaughter, said her grandfather was in his late 70s, loved to go fishing, paint, and go on walks with his family in the park.
She said that he was always happy, always smiling. Toledo was shot and killed in front some of his own family members at the parade.
Rangel said she had planned to attend the parade herself with her own young daughter, but couldn't make it. She wound getting a phone call from her mother, who told her through tears, that Nicolas was killed.
"I would just say hold your family tight, while you can, while you still have them," Rangel said. "We didn't expect to have this happen so close to home, but it did. It's not just my family that's affected. There are so many families that are being affected by this. I hope everyone holds your family tight tonight."
She said Toledo was visiting from Mexico and had been here for about a month. During his stay, Rangel's daughter got to meet him and was just beginning to forge a bond with her great-grandfather.
After the suspected gunman was captured, people began to gather near the police station to see if they could catch a glimpse of Crimo. A crowd watched an Illinois State Police vehicle that was believe to have been transporting the alleged gunman.
CBS 2's Jackie Kostek spoke to a resident named Stacey, who has lived in the Highland Park community for more than 30 years and she said she got to the parade around 10:00 a.m.
"As we were walking in there, everyone was all over the place. And people were saying 'we didn't know if it was firecrackers or shootings or what.' And we just got out of there. And he's a local guy and it's horrific."
Stacey said the shock of it still lingers.
"Thirty years and I never thought that this would happen. And today it did. I'm in disbelief. I thought Highland Park was a safe place. You just don't know when this is going to happen. And I just pray for these families and pray for everybody who is out there, and pray that everybody is safe. It's scary. This world is scary."
The longtime Highland Park resident came out to the Highland Park Police Department to see the person suspected in the killing of six people and injuring more than 20 others.
"I want to see this kid. I really do. It's disgusting. It's sick. It's very upsetting. And you know everybody has little kids, and there are tons of little kids around here. This could happen anywhere. It's very sad," she said.
What does the Highland Park resident to come out of this tragedy?
I want peace. Peace is what I want."
Another longtime Highland Park resident, Alan, was a volunteer for the parade route.
"At first we thought it was firecrackers or part of the parade. And then people just started running. We couldn't put it together because your mind doesn't react to people on the ground. And it was terrible."
He said he's a volunteer for 18 years. Alan said he and his team helped law enforcement to make sure people were OK.
"We just rode around and helped the police move off people out. I went back to my house with my family," he said, adding that it would be an unforgettable day.
"I knew three or four people who were killed. I didn't know that at the time."
